Yesterday's International Herald Tribune had an excellent story about why a "peace" award went to an environmental activist like Al Gore and scientists studying the physics behind climate change:
The Nobel Peace Prize committee made a powerful statement Friday that the consequences of increasing carbon emissions are as dangerous as the ravages of war and - more directly - that "green" equals peace.
The award to Al Gore and the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reflects a growing conviction on the part of scientists, politicians and economists that such emissions will not only change climate patterns but also lead to economic mayhem, social upheaval and conflicts between nations or groups trying to survive in an increasingly disrupted natural environment.
"This prize is an indication of the degree to which we've realized in the past few years that what happens in the environment is not just about natural resources but has so many different dimensions," said Achim Steiner, executive director of the UN Environment Program. "It recognizes that changes in the environment are likely to manifest themselves in tensions and conflicts."
The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, which has for years maintained a "Doomsday Clock" to monitor the risk of global disaster from nuclear weapons, this year increased its warning level for the first time not because of weaponry but because of the threat posed by global warming.
What can you do right now to help turn back the Doomsday Clock? Support our six activists - two women and four men who were arrested last Thursday and are still in an Indian jail - by signing Greenpeace India's Ban the Bulb petition. Because more energy efficient lightbulbs means less need for coal fired power stations.